


I Promise to Take Good Care of Him

by notastranger



Series: The Adventures of Charlie and Scientist [2]
Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Dubious Consent, Fluff and Smut, Frottage, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Nonsexual Ageplay, please see author's note for more information, sleep sex without prior consent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-31
Updated: 2014-01-31
Packaged: 2018-01-10 16:03:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1161756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notastranger/pseuds/notastranger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlie has a pretty sweet deal, being Scientist’s roommate. Naturally, he has to screw everything up. Fortunately, the Gang steps in to help. </p><p>Takes place a couple of months after events in He Followed Me Home</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Promise to Take Good Care of Him

**Author's Note:**

> As indicated in the tags, there is a scene in this fic in which two characters engage in sexual activity (frottage) while one character is asleep, without prior consent to such activity. The scene occurs after Charlie and Scientist go to bed for the evening. There is additional sexual content at the end of the fic that is consensual.

The process of opening Paddy’s was simple and routine: the gang sat around and shot the breeze while Charlie set up everything, Dee or Frank eventually remembering to unlock the door and let the early-bird regulars file in.

Today, Charlie was finishing up his chores with more zip than usual. “Woah, hey,” Dennis sputtered as Charlie pushed past him to restock the cocktail napkins. “What’s the rush, little guy?”

“He has a date with Science Bitch,” Mac answered, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t call him that,” Charlie protested automatically, grabbing a rag and wiping the bar’s lacquered surface. “I’m supposed to meet him at the planetarium in a half-hour and I don’t want to be late.”

“You’re going to a laser show?” Dee asked from her seat at the bar’s edge.

Charlie shook his head. “No, we’re going to learn about black holes.”

“I bet he’d like to learn about your black hole,” Mac muttered behind his drink, eliciting a near spit-take from Dennis.

Charlie slapped the rag onto the bartop in exasperation. “C’mon, Mac! Why do you keep making stupid gay jokes about Doc?”

“Because he _is_ gay.” Mac tilted the neck of his beer bottle at Charlie accusingly. “Gay for _you_.”

“Dude, shut up. I’ve had gay guys hit on me before and Doc has never said a single word about his boner. He’s my friend and mentor, that’s _it_.” He looked at Dennis and Dee for support and balked at their incredulous expressions. “ _What_?”

“He did ask you to move in with him,” Dennis pointed out. “I can’t really think of a good reason why he’d do that except for the admittedly ludicrous possibility that he wants to bang you.”

“He has all the trappings of a hairless otter,” Dee said. “He’s intelligent, well-dressed, and has no romantic interest in me.”

“That doesn’t really help Mac’s argument,” Dennis interjected.

Dee leaned over and flicked her brother’s ear.

“Okay, you know what?” Charlie snapped, voice cracking with frustration. “All of you can just go ahead and make your assumptions, but you don’t know shit. There is nothing gay about two grown science-minded men who happen to share a bed and sometimes cuddle on the couch while watching nature documentaries.”

“That’s the very definition of ‘gay’,” Mac retorted.

Charlie let out an indignant screech. “All right, that’s it! I am not going to stand around and listen to your nerd hate speech. You can bash your own rats tonight.”

Dennis held up his hands in appeasement. “Charlie, hang on, we were only—“

“A-bleh-bleh! I don’t want to hear it!” Charlie yelled before storming to the door, pulling on it twice before unlocking it and then slamming it on his way out.

“Nice going, Mac,” Dee chastised with a disappointed frown. “Just because you’re jealous of Charlie’s roommate—“

“I’m not jealous.”

“—It doesn’t mean you should rile him up like that,” Dee continued, as if Mac hadn’t spoken. “It’s not like he’s putting on airs of superiority or refusing to do Charlie work like last time.”

“He doesn’t smell like a sewer anymore,” Dennis added. “And I don’t have to draw skulls and crossbones on the cleaning products because he can actually read warning labels now. If you ask me, this relationship is a win-win for everyone.”

“I’m not jealous!” Mac insisted. “I’m _worried_. I know how gay guys operate, okay? I see it every time I get my pump on at the gym. One of these days poor Charlie is going to be reaching for something he dropped, wiggling around all innocent-like, and Science Bitch is going to come right up behind him and—“

“Please,” Dennis groaned. “Please don’t finish that sentence.”

“I don’t want him to get hurt,” Mac insisted. “Frank!” he called out as the other man came in from the back office. “Frank, back me up here. Don’t you think it’s a bad idea for Charlie to be living with Science Bitch?”

“Bad idea?” Frank scoffed and walked around the bar to grab a drink. “It’s the best idea Charlie’s ever had. No rent, free food, a toilet that works – the kid’s living the dream.”

“But what if Science Bitch tries something funny?”

Frank popped the tab on his can of beer and took a thoughtful swig. “Well, he can’t move back in with me, but he can always stay with one of you.” He gestured lovingly at Dennis and Dee before returning to the back office.

The Reynolds twins exchanged nervous glances.

“We can’t let Charlie fuck this up,” Dennis said grimly.

“It’s not Charlie who’s gonna—“ Mac started to say, but was silenced by a severe look from Dee.

“So long as certain people don’t put ideas into Charlie’s head,” Dee said, still glaring at Mac, “he’ll be just fine. Science Bitch has already seen him at his worst; Charlie can’t possibly fuck this up.”

~*~

The planetarium show was cool and Scientist even bought him a magnet and some astronaut ice cream from the gift shop, but Charlie couldn’t quite enjoy the afternoon as much as he thought he should. The conversation at Paddy’s was still ringing in his ears and the more he tried not to think about it, the more it held his attention.

He always figured Mac was just projecting when he made comments about Scientist’s sexuality, but Dee and Dennis agreed with him, and that made Charlie nervous. What if the gang was right? What if Scientist _was_ gay, and more importantly, wanted to do gay things to Charlie?

“Is something on your mind?” Scientist asked over dinner. “You’ve barely touched your food.”

Charlie poked at the cheesy casserole with his fork – normally one of his favorites – and shook his head. “Nah. I guess I’m just tired or something.”

Scientist frowned a little, but didn’t press the issue, and Charlie was glad for that -- Scientist was the person he went to when he had worrisome thoughts, but how could he talk to him about _this_?

No. This problem he had to figure out on his own.

As Charlie got ready for bed, he tried to recall anything Scientist might have said about liking women. Charlie talked about the Waitress on a fairly frequent basis, but Scientist never mentioned past girlfriends or current crushes. A classy guy like him must have dated _someone_ , right?

“So, uh… meet any secretly hot nerd girls lately?” Charlie asked as he slid under the covers.

Scientist looked up from the book he was reading, eyebrows raised. “I beg your pardon?”

“You know, a girl who wears glasses and dresses frumpily but then she lets her hair down and whips off her glasses and suddenly she’s super hot? I’ll bet your school is crawling with them.”

Scientist carefully marked his place in the book before shutting it and setting it on the nightstand. “No, I have not met anyone like that.”

“Okay.” Charlie settled into the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. “Hey, uh, how about that Marie Curie? She was a babe, right?”

“Are you feeling all right?” Scientist asked, turning from his propped-up position against the headboard to peer at Charlie.

“What? Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied quickly.

Scientist narrowed his eyes suspiciously before shaking his head and reaching for the bedside lamp. “Goodnight, Charlie.”

“’Night, Doc,” Charlie replied, shutting his eyes as the room went dark, hoping he’d fall asleep quickly despite the thoughts swirling in his head.

~*~

Charlie was dreaming.

Giant monsters were taking over the planet and he and Scientist were trying to stop them. Charlie liked how he was all smart and badass, sporting lots of tattoos and a cool leather jacket, so he couldn’t help but be a little annoyed when Scientist interrupted his dream by poking him awake.

“C’mon, man,” he muttered grouchily. He tried to roll away but couldn’t; Scientist’s warm body was flush against his side, one leg hooked over both of his. His futile wiggling only made Scientist sigh happily in his sleep and tighten his grip.

That’s when Charlie realized what part of Scientist’s anatomy had poked him awake; His bedmate was currently sporting an impressive erection and pressing it rather determinedly against his upper thigh.

Charlie tensed instinctively but otherwise didn’t move. Minutes passed like hours as Scientist slept on, oblivious to his own arousal.

Tentatively, Charlie placed a hand on Scientist’s pajama-covered hip while he debated how to push the other man away without waking him. He let his fingers linger in the valley of the fabric’s wrinkles; Scientist sighed in satisfaction and tilted his pelvis eagerly.

Charlie snatched his hand away as if burned, his neck prickling with sweat. He was good and stuck now, wasn’t he, if merely touching Scientist made him do _that_.

Strange how he didn’t feel trapped, though. Just… confused. He tilted his head awkwardly to get a glimpse of Scientist’s face and felt surprisingly pleased at the small, sweet smile gracing his bedmate’s lips.

“Doc,” Charlie whispered, but the other man didn’t stir.

Carefully, Charlie returned a hand to his hip and pressed it into the warm flannel. He watched, mesmerized, as Scientist’s mouth dropped open into a silent gasp, dark lashes fluttering against pale cheeks before he nuzzled into Charlie’s neck as if embarrassed.

Charlie let his head drop back onto the pillows; his neck was getting a cramp and he couldn’t see Scientist’s face from that angle anymore. But he felt that smile, now slightly damp from parted lips, imprinted on his skin.

 _I’m not going to be able to fall back asleep until he gets off_ , Charlie thought, heart hammering in his chest. With a quick reminder that it wasn’t gay to want a full night’s rest, Charlie kneaded the narrow curve of Scientist’s waist and tried not to squirm when the other man rutted against him. It was hot and sweaty and the top of Scientist’s head kept bonking against his jaw, but the pleased whimpers escaping from the other man’s lips were strangely inspiring. Charlie felt a burst of pride deep in his chest, the same feeling he got whenever Scientist smiled at him just _so_.

Emboldened, Charlie slipped his fingers underneath the hem of Scientist’s t-shirt and rubbed small circles into the bare, smooth skin. Scientist panted against Charlie’s neck, his thrusts taking on a more forceful edge; Charlie could swear the other man was whispering something in those hot puffs of air. He stilled his hand against the waistband of Scientist’s pajamas and listened closely.

“Please,” Scientist hissed softly on his next exhalation, his hips rocking desperately. “ _Please_.”

Charlie slipped his hand underneath the elastic, rubbing the unforgiving crest of Scientist’s hipbone before pressing his fingertips into the soft dip of flesh just in front of it. Scientist made a sound halfway between a whine and a sob, grinding his crotch against Charlie’s thigh until the fabric between them was soaked. Charlie slid his hand out of Scientist’s pants, lying still until he was sure Scientist had returned to a deep slumber, and then gently rolled the man off of him.

Only once Scientist was resettled and snoring quietly did Charlie shove his hand into his sweatpants and fist his cock at a brutal pace, pressing his other hand over his mouth and so he wouldn’t make a sound when he came.

~*~

 The next morning was Sunday. Charlie woke up expecting to see Scientist sitting in bed and reading the newspaper, as usual, patiently waiting for him to get up and shower so they could go out for brunch.

But this time, there was no sign of Scientist. Charlie stretched and frowned at the way his shirt stuck to his stomach. He had wiped his hand there after he --

Oh, yeah. Last night. Charlie blushed at the memory. At the time, he had just wanted to go back to sleep and getting Scientist off seemed the best way to get there. He wasn’t sure why he had also ended up aroused, but after a moment’s reflection, decided there was no shame in it.

Conscience clear, he quickly changed t-shirts before padding into the living room.  Scientist was sitting on the couch, fully dressed and reading the newspaper. Charlie’s gaze was immediately drawn to the pillow and blanket neatly folded next to him. “Dude. Who’s that for? Are we having company tonight?”

Scientist kept his gaze on the paper. “They’re for me.”

Charlie tilted his head in confusion. “I don’t get it. Are you going to take a nap on the couch later?”

The paper trembled in Scientist’s hands. “They’re for tonight, Charlie. We won’t be sharing a bed for a little while.”

“But, but we always—“ Charlie’s breath caught in his chest, all tight with dread. “I don’t understand, Doc.”

Scientist looked up over the edge of the paper. His expression reminded Charlie of a statue, all sharp angles and cold lines. “It’s for the best, Charlie.” He folded the newspaper closed and set it aside. “I have some work I need to finish on campus, so we’ll have to skip brunch today. Would you like me to make you something before I leave?”

“No, I… I should go shower. Have a good day at work.” Charlie returned to the bedroom and shut the door.

He waited until he was sure Scientist was gone before letting himself cry.

~*~

Dee answered the loud, persistent knocking on her apartment door with a sour attitude and an even more sour face. “What do you want, Charlie?” she demanded. “It’s my day off today, go bother Frank if there’s a problem at Paddy’s.”

“It’s not about Paddy’s.” Charlie had his arms wrapped around himself as if he were cold. He sniffled and only then did Dee notice the tears in his eyes. “I need to talk to someone, can I come in?”

Dee’s expression softened. “Yeah, okay.” She shut the door behind him and followed him into the living room. “So what’s the matter?”

“I think I fucked things up with Doc.”

Dee resisted the urge to bang her head against the wall. “God dammit, Charlie. What did you do?”

Charlie sighed morosely. “I got him off in his sleep.”

Dee’s exasperation turned into shock. “You _what_?”

“He woke me up with his boner and I tried to push him off but he started humping me and I didn’t know what else to do!” Charlie threw up his hands defensively. “These things happen sometimes, Dee!”

Dee gave a long-suffering sigh.

“Anyway,” Charlie continued, “He slept through the whole thing but I guess he figured out what happened and didn’t like it? Because now he doesn’t want to share a bed with me anymore.”

“I don’t understand,” Dee said, half to herself, “Mac made a compelling argument for him being gay for you.” She peered at Charlie thoughtfully. “Are you gay for him now, too?”

“No? I don’t know!” Charlie rubbed his hands together anxiously. “I just want things to go back to the way they were. I don’t want him mad at me.”

Dee approached Charlie and gave him a brief, but sincere hug. “I don’t want him mad at you, either. Why don’t you go back home and wait for him. I’m sure the two of you can talk it out.”

Charlie nodded, expression still glum. “Thanks, Dee.”

Dee smiled and gently ushered Charlie out of her apartment, then grabbed her phone and pressed one of her speed dial buttons.

“Dennis?” She said, once the phone connected. “Get Mac and come over here as soon as possible. We have a problem.”

~*~

Paddy’s interior was dark when Scientist arrived late that afternoon. “Hello?” he called out warily. “Charlie?”

Dee stepped out of the shadows, dressed in what she thought of as an especially attractive little black dress. Her heels clicked against the floor as she strode up to Scientist and smiled coyly. “Hello, Mr. Scientist,” she purred. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Hello, Ms. Reynolds,” Scientist replied, taking a step back when Dee got too close. “Charlie left me a message to meet him here.”

“Oh, my.” Dee batted her eyelashes. “Charlie isn’t here right now. Perhaps you’d like to sit and have a drink while you wait?” She reached out and playfully tapped the knot of his tie. “On me?”

“I will wait for him here but I would prefer not to have a drink,” Scientist replied stiffly.

Dee pouted and stepped once more into his personal space. “Are you sure? I know that Charlie can make a nice _cock_ tail, but perhaps what you’re looking for is something a little lighter?”

“On second thought, please tell Charlie that I will wait for him at home. Good day, Ms. Reynolds.” Scientist turned on his heel to leave, only to find Mac standing at the door, dressed in a black karate gi. He glared at Scientist warningly before slowly and obviously locking the door.

“I told you your plan wasn’t going to work, Dee,” Dennis announced as he also stepped out from the shadows. “Even if he is straight, he’s not going to fall for your seduction technique.”

“If you had come out first, he would have just run screaming,” Dee sniped, gesturing at her brother’s birdman costume. “Do you really think that’s what the gay man of today is into?”

“What the bloody hell is going on?” Scientist demanded, his accent crisp as a winter frost. “Is this some sort of shakedown? Charlie has told me stories about you three.”

Dee sighed. “No, it is not a ‘bloody’ shakedown,” she replied, mocking Scientist’s accent. “Unless it’s a shakedown of the truth, in which case, yes, we are shaking you down.”

“For the truth,” Mac added, crossing his arms over his chest.

Scientist’s jaw tightened. “You’re all barmy. I’m leaving.”

“Like hell you are.” Dee poked Scientist in the chest, hard enough to make him take a fretful step backwards. “Not until you tell us how you feel about Charlie.”

Scientist blinked. “Why do the lot of you care how I feel about Charlie?”

“Because he’s our friend and we don’t like the way you’re treating him,” Mac answered with a scowl.

“How _I’m_ —“ Scientist snorted derisively. “The three of you are certainly in no position to judge such a thing, considering all that you’ve done to him over the years.”

“Hey, we’re not the ones on trial here, Mr. Smarty-Pants.” Dennis leaned against the bar. “And I’m pretty sure none of us broke his _heart_.”

Scientist’s eyes widened, face turning pale. “Charlie thinks I broke his heart? Did he say that?”

“Not in those words, but it was pretty obvious to Dee that you upset him.”

“Oh, no.” Scientist looked at Dee pleadingly. “That wasn’t my intention at all, I assure you.”

“So what _is_ your intention?” Dee asked, hands on hips. “Is he some sort of freaky experiment to you? Do you even care about him at all?”

“Of course I care about him! He is a darling boy with a warm heart and one of the best things to have ever happened to me. Now _please_ , where is he? I need to make amends before he does something foolish.”

Dee stared at Scientist for a long moment before nodding to herself and relaxing her stance. “He’s at home waiting for you.”

Scientist turned to go, but Mac was still blocking the door. “My hands are lethal weapons now, but don’t think I won’t use them on you if hurt Charlie again.”

“Mr. MacDonald,” Scientist replied with the gravitas of a blood oath, “I would willingly accept any punishment you deemed appropriate should I ever do something so vile as that.”

Mac unlocked the door and less Scientist pass.

Dee whistled lowly. “Huh. I guess he does care about Charlie after all. That was a real gentleman move, what he just said.” She looked at her brother. “You could learn a little something from Science Bitch.”

Dennis crossed his feathery arms and pouted.

~*~

Charlie had taken Dee’s advice and headed back to his apartment, but he couldn’t stop worrying. It was only the thought of Scientist being even madder at him that kept him from huffing or drinking or engaging in any of his former coping mechanisms, but it was still the longest hours of his life, waiting for Scientist to return home.

By the time he heard the familiar jingle of keys in the door, Charlie was nestled in a corner of the couch, blanket wrapped over his head like a shroud. Scientist popped in and stared critically at Charlie and the open bag of shredded mozzarella on the coffee table.

Armitage poked his furry face out from under the makeshift hood and wiggled his whiskers in greeting. “We’re living in a world of darkness,” Charlie lamented, burrowing further into the blanket. “I only let him have a little cheese, the rest was me. Sorry.”

“It’s quite all right,” Scientist murmured. He held out his hand for their pet rat to crawl onto and returned him to his cage. “I would have been home sooner but I was at Paddy’s.”

Charlie looked up, confused. “Why were you there?”

Scientist settled himself next to Charlie on the couch. “I thought you were there. Turns out it was a ruse concocted by your friends.” He smiled wryly. “They gave me their own peculiar version of the shovel talk.”

“Really?” Charlie smiled despite his melancholy mood.

“Yes. And I deserved it.” He placed his hands on the blanket’s edge. “I didn’t realize how much I had hurt you by deciding to sleep on the couch. May I unwrap you and give you a hug in apology?”

Charlie nodded, struggling to help pull off the blanket before giving up and letting Scientist take care of it. “You don’t need to be sorry, man,” he sighed, slumping into Scientist’s warm embrace.  “I just don’t want you mad at me.”

Scientist tutted softly, smoothing down Charlie’s unruly hair. “Now why on earth would I be mad at _you_ , dear boy?”

Charlie buried his face in Scientist’s shoulder. “Because I helped get you off in your sleep.”

Scientist’s arms stiffened around him. “You what?”

Charlie pulled out of the hug. “Dude, I thought you _knew_. Isn’t that why you didn’t want to share a bed anymore?”

“I wanted to stop sharing a bed because I was embarrassed by… by my…”

“Boner, Doc, unless there was some sort of British term you were searching for.”

Scientist bundled up the blanket in his arms in a pathetic attempt to refold it, although by the look on his face, he’d just as soon throw it over himself and try to hide. “Yes, well. I woke up from a very intense dream and knew that _something_ had happened. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Nah, I wasn’t… I mean, maybe a little at first, but it was nice, you know? Like when we’re cuddled up reading together and I pronounce something correctly and your whole face lights up.” Charlie picked at a loose thread on the blanket. “I’m sure you were dreaming about some hot nerd girl rubbing your back or—“

“I was dreaming about you,” Scientist interrupted, grabbing Charlie’s hands and holding them to his chest. “I always dream about you. I’m attracted to so very few people, men or women.  You’re the first person who’s captured my attention in a long time.”

“So you _are_ gay for me?” Charlie asked, eyebrow raised.

“Charlie,” he half-laughed, half-moaned. “You have no idea how ‘gay’ I am for you.” With a heavy sigh, he let go of the smaller man’s hands. “But, regrettably, you are not, and I do not want to let my base desires taint our friendship.”

“Well, hang on a second here. Let’s not be so hasty.” Charlie kept his hands on Scientist’s chest, absently straightening his tie. “I mean, I’ve never wanted to have gay sex before, but I’ve had sex with women a couple of times and I can’t really recommend it.”

“But the Waitress,” Scientist muttered, not meeting Charlie’s eyes.

“Oh yeah, I’d have sex with the Waitress as much as she wanted, but that’s because I love her and I want her to be happy, you know?” Charlie ran a finger along the tie’s edge. “And… I want you to be happy, too, so…”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Charlie.”

Charlie shrugged. “Well, that’s what lube is for, right?”

Scientist goggled before squeezing his eyes shut and biting his lower lip. “ _Christ_ , Charlie. I meant your feelings.”

“Oh.” Charlie scratched at his neck thoughtfully, but with his mind already made up, he wasn’t terribly concerned. “As long as we don’t have to do it again if I don’t like it.”

There was a tense moment of silence before Scientist finally relaxed, looking into Charlie’s eyes with his usual level of composure. “I would _never_ make you do that. I promise.”

“Okay. Cool.” Charlie smiled in relief before bringing a hand to his mouth and suppressing a burp. “Oops, sorry.”

Scientist wrinkled his nose. “How much cheese did you eat?” he asked, poking at the container of cheese. Nothing remained but scraps.

“I was nervous,” Charlie complained. “You’re lucky I didn’t start picking paint off the wall.”

“None of that,” Scientist replied sternly, although there was a hint of a smile on his lips.  He swept the remaining bits of cheese off the table. “I’ll find something a tad healthier for us to have for dinner. Don’t forget to wash your hands.”

~*~

They had stir-fry; it wasn’t Charlie’s favorite dish, but he ate it without complaint. It wasn’t long before he was full, the knot in his stomach not leaving much room for actual food. He told himself he was nervous over the fact that Mac was right all along and was probably going to be a smarmy dick about it, not because the night was going to end in gay sex.

Nope, that had nothing to do with it.

After dinner, Charlie and Scientist cuddled under the blanket and watched a documentary about amphibians. Charlie leaned against Scientist and let the other man rub his shoulder, but that wasn’t any different than usual, and Scientist didn’t do anything else.

They got ready for bed and Charlie made sure to brush his teeth extra thoroughly to get rid of his cheese breath. Then they both got under the covers and Scientist reached up and turned out the light.

Charlie lay perfectly still for a good five minutes before sighing audibly. “Doc?”

Scientist said nothing. Charlie rolled onto his side and looked at the other man’s profile, barely visible in the darkness. “Are we going to do the gay sex thing tonight? I kind of thought we were, so I psyched myself up for it, but if we’re not, then—“

Scientist turned to face him. They bumped noses and Charlie giggled a little at the unexpected touch. “We can try,” Scientist whispered, before leaning in and placing a chaste kiss on Charlie’s lips.

Charlie shut his eyes, determined not to cringe, but _ugh_. Kissing. He wanted to make Scientist happy but he was not looking forward to the sloppy wetness that he associated with kisses past. But to his surprise, Scientist did not try sticking his tongue down Charlie’s throat. Instead, he brushed cool, dry lips on his cheeks and eyelids. It felt nice, like Scientist was cuddling him with his face, and Charlie hummed his approval.

Scientist face cuddled him for a minute or so until Charlie finally worked up the nerve to reciprocate. They nuzzled and kissed until Scientist startled giggling. “Your beard tickles,” he whispered against Charlie’s temple. “I’d like to take your shirt off, if that’s all right.”

“S-sure,” Charlie stammered. He sat up enough so that Scientist could pull his t-shirt off and resettled onto his back. Scientist was staring at him with an intensity that made him feel self-conscious, even in the dim light. “I, um, I try to work out when I can, but—“

“You’re perfect,” Scientist interrupted, his hands sliding over Charlie’s belly and up his chest to rest on his sternum. “Just perfect.” He leaned over and ghosted his lips along Charlie’s collarbone, straddling the smaller man’s hips in the process. “Tell me to stop if I do anything you don’t like,” he murmured between lush, open-mouthed kisses on Charlie’s skin.

Charlie squirmed under the attention of Scientist’s mouth and hands, not inclined to tell Scientist to stop anytime soon, not even when he nipped and sucked at one of Charlie’s nipples. “Oh, oh fuck,” Charlie gasped. “D-dude. You should – _oh_ – you should take your shirt off, too.”

Scientist placed a trembling kiss just above Charlie’s heart. “Yes, okay,” he panted distractedly. He sat up and pulled off his own shirt, his pale skin practically glowing.

Charlie held out a hand, preventing the other man from folding back over him. “Hold up, let me look at you.” He beckoned Scientist forward just enough to place his hands on the other man’s chest. “You are in fantastic shape for a nerd, did you know that?”

Scientist ducked his head shyly. “No.”

“Dude, you are. Mac would be wicked jealous of your pecs.”

Scientist giggled, the corners of his eyes crinkling, and Charlie tugged him down by his arms, a pleasant shiver going down his spine at the sensation of so much bare skin touching. He contemplated rolling the other man over and face cuddling his chest, but then Scientist bucked his hips against Charlie’s and all the smaller man could see were stars.

“Sorry,” Scientist whispered, but Charlie just grabbed his hips and made him do it again.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Charlie moaned, because it felt _so good_. “Don’t apologize, that’s – oh my God, you’re so hard. When—“

“Since we got into bed,” Scientist replied, grinding himself against Charlie in slow, languid circles. “Oh, Charlie.” He placed a wet, feverish kiss on Charlie’s lips and for once the smaller man did not mind the way it felt. “Oh, my darling boy.”

Charlie whimpered softly and ran his hands along Scientist’s elegant spine, letting the other man kiss him however he liked, groaning into Scientist’s mouth when he felt hands curl into his hair and cradle his scalp.

They rocked together until their pajama bottoms were damp with sweat. “Doc,” Charlie whined pathetically. “’S good, ‘s real good, but I—I need _more_.”

Scientist stilled his hips, panting heavily into the crook of Charlie’s neck. “Yes. Just… just give me a moment.”

Charlie watched as Scientist pushed himself to a sitting position, skin blotchy and shining with sweat. He dismounted from Charlie and reached for the nightstand drawer, pulling out a small plastic bottle. “I’m going to touch you, Charlie. Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” Charlie nodded, nervousness mingling with his arousal. He clenched in anticipation as Scientist slid off both their pajama bottoms and squirted lube onto his palm. “Do I need to roll over?”

Scientist looked down at Charlie in puzzlement before chuckling and straddling him once more. “I’m just going to touch your prick,” he murmured, leaning down and nuzzling his nose against Charlie’s. “Silly boy.”

Charlie sagged with relief into the mattress, then yelped as Scientist’s slick hand encircled his cock and began to stroke him. “Oh, _fuck_ , that’s—“ He laughed, high-pitched, unable to articulate how amazing he felt. “That’s really good, man.”

Scientist purred something nonsensical in reply and Charlie shut his eyes, reveling in the sensation, but after only another stroke or two, Scientist let go and Charlie mewled in protest. “Why’d you stop?” he complained, but then Scientist’s hand was on him again, only something _else_ was pressed up against his  –

Charlie’s eyes flew open; Scientist was curved above him like an obscene question mark, one hand splayed on the bed for balance and the other wrapped tightly around both their cocks. “Dude,” he whispered, amazed.

Scientist flashed an almost feral grin, eyes narrowed in concentration as he drew his hand along both their lengths in one slick stroke, rubbing the head of Charlie’s cock with the pad of his thumb before pulling back and starting all over again.

Charlie cried out, clutching the sheets by the fistful and bucking into Scientist’s steady grip. It felt _so good_ , better than anything else he’d done, either alone or with a partner. A tight heat coiled low in his belly and he knew he wasn’t going to last long, knew and didn’t _care_ , it felt too good, too good to wait—

“So beautiful,” Scientist whispered, leaning down as close as he dared without losing his rhythm. “My sweet, darling Charlie.”

Charlie let out a wail as he came, hands abandoning the sheets and finding purchase on Scientist’s hips. He squeezed the soft flesh beneath his fingers as he rode out his orgasm, still thrusting helplessly.

Scientist moaned wordlessly and came a moment later, painting Charlie’s stomach with his release. He let his hand slide naturally off their cocks and rested it against his own thigh, sitting back and panting heavily. “How was that?” he asked breathlessly, reaching up with his clean hand to push sweat-damp hair off his forehead.

Charlie slid his hands to the swell of Scientist’s backside and patted him affectionately. “That was awesome,” he laughed breathlessly. “I thought gay sex was just shoving things up your butt, I had no idea you could rub two dicks together. You gotta tell me what else I’ve been missing out on, Doc.”

“I’ll put that on my to-do list straightaway.” Scientist reluctantly dismounted and grabbed a box of tissues off the nightstand, pulling out several and carefully cleaning off his hand and Charlie’s stomach.

“But, um… we can still cuddle afterwards, right? I mean, sex with you is fun but it’s not the same thing.”

Scientist hurriedly tossed the used tissues into the bedside wastebasket and curled up against Charlie, pulling away only to grab the covers and draw them over their naked bodies. “Does that answer your question?” he teased, nuzzling into Charlie’s shoulder.

Charlie sighed happily and shut his eyes. “Night, Doc.”

“Goodnight, Charlie.”

~*~

The afternoon rush at the coffee shop had left Waitress frazzled and short-fused, so when Charlie walked in and gave her a smile, she all but snarled, “What do you want?”

Charlie’s smile faltered and he drummed his fingers on the countertop nervously. “Uh, I came here to tell you something important.”

Waitress crossed her arms impatiently.

Charlie inhaled deeply and looked the love of his life in the eyes. “I’m gay.”

Waitress blinked. “Uh…”

“Sort of,” Charlie amended quickly. “Like, not totally gay. But I’m really gay for one guy in particular. We’ve been having gay sex.”

Waitress tilted her head. “Is it Mac?”

“ _What_? No, _ew_. It’s my roommate.”

“You’ve been having gay sex with Science Bitch?”

Charlie made a frustrated sound in the back of his throat. “Why does everyone call him that? He has a _name_.” He sighed and looked down at the ground. “But, yeah, we’re gay for each other. And I wanted you to hear it from me first.”

Waitress looked Charlie over. “You know, I didn’t even notice you come in because you smell nice for a change. You look good, too.”

Charlie peered up hopefully. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Waitress smiled. “I’m happy for you, Charlie.”

Charlie practically melted in relief. “Oh, that is _so_ good to hear.”

“So, I guess this means you won’t be bothering me anymore, right?”

“Oh, no.” Charlie smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I still love you. I just wanted you to know about Doc so that when we get married and move in together, you’ll remember to find a place that has an extra bedroom for him.”

Waitress gaped. “An extra room.”

“Yeah! Because I’ll be in his bed some of the time and in our bed some of the time… but I guess we’ll need a bunch of rooms anyway for all the babies we get from the baby store, so—“

“GET OUT OF HERE,” Waitress shrieked.

Charlie backed away quickly, hands up in submission. “Okay, okay! Take your time, this is a lot of information to process.”

Waitress threw a coffee mug at his head. Charlie ducked and ran out of the shop.

Scientist was waiting for him outside, mildly alarmed by his abrupt exit. “Didn’t go well, I take it?”

Charlie sighed. “Nah.”

“A pity,” Scientist said, sliding his hand into Charlie’s. “Guess that means you’re all mine for a while longer.”

Charlie entwined their fingers and grinned. “Yep.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Taking Good Care](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1186109) by [hobbitdragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hobbitdragon/pseuds/hobbitdragon)




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